Redemption, M J Marlow [best way to read ebooks TXT] 📗

was over, Marit was left tied to the mast; Brek’s favorite fantasy, dazed and throbbing. One of the men rolled over and his hand stroked her leg. Marit moaned and felt her need building again. Canby came over to her, his eyes dancing with joy and he licked her until the moan became screams. He untied her and pulled her down on top of him. She collapsed on top of him, utterly spent and did not wake when he carried her down to her place and settled her inside as gently as he could.
“She’s running away from something major, chums,” Andrew said after she went to sleep. “We can’t keep her.”
“She wants to stay, Cap,” Canby protested. “How can we just kick her out?”
“Not kick her out,” Brek spoke up as he tamped down the tobacco in his pipe. “More like help her find her way back.”
“What if she won’t go?” Daro said as he looked in at their angel, sleeping with a contented smile on her face.
“We’ll have to make arrangements,” Andrew decided. “I’ve enjoyed having her around, too,” he said as he reached in with his foot and rubbed her back. Marit sighed in happiness. “She’s become more of a pet than a person, and that’s not right for a child like her.”
“She gave her sister to the Stormkeep prince,” Brek tallied off their reports; “Her friend, you remember the little virgin?” The men all nodded and smiled, “She gave her to her husband and children.” He frowned. “Her cousin got the Northfell princes, and the Emperor’s grandson was driven insane by her sister.” He frowned. “There really is no place for her to go back to in the borderlands.”
“Not necessarily,” Andrew smiled. “I spoke to her father, king Marius. Good man, not at all arrogant; and very concerned about his legitimate daughter. He was quite disturbed to hear that she had given her name and place to her illegitimate half-sister. He was more disturbed to hear that the men who he had trusted to love and protect her took her up on her offers. He says he has given her the lands of Atherton as a place for her to heal.” He grinned. “He also says that we are welcome to join her there as her protectors.”
“Landlubbers?” Canby cringed. He looked at the sleeping girl. “Even for her that would be quite a stretch for us. What are we supposed to do?”
“Keep her safe,” Daro said in a ‘duh’ tone of voice. “We been doing that for nearly five months now. But this time, we treat her like our child, not our bed warmer. See that she relearns how to be a lady of rank again.”
“I think he’s got ladies to do that for her,” Andrew told his men. “We can just dump her there and leave,” he told his friends, “but after what we did to her, and for her, I think we owe her more than that.” He stretched. “I’m getting a bit stiff to be a sea captain.”
“And the pirates are taking over these waters,” Canby complained. “Too much competition.”
“We’ll head to Trent and buy her some pretties with our proceeds from the boat sale,” Andrew smiled. He’d known his men would come through. “Atherton is only two days ride northwest of there.” He rubbed Marit’s back smiling. “We’ll send word once we arrive that lord and lady Atherton is in residence.”
“I guess you’ll be playing lord Atherton?” Brek asked Andrew.
“We could play cards for it,” Andrew shrugged. “We’re all pretty disreputable characters.”
“I think you’re a bunch of lovable reprobates,” Marit spoke up from inside her cubbyhole. She opened her eyes and looked out at them. “Would you really give me up so easily when I adore each and every one of you?”
“Is there any law against you having more than one of us to husband?” Brek asked her, quite sincerely.
“I don’t know,” Marit told him. “We’ll have to find out. Until then,” she smiled as she came out to them. “Let Andrew be the lord, Brek be the Major Domo, Canby be the Captain of my guard and Daro be my tutor.”
“Your rank will look down on you for keeping us as pets, Princess,” Andrew told her sternly. She began to remove his shirt and rub her hands over his chest, her eyes dancing with mischief. “I’m not complaining. It’s time we were your pets for a change.”
“Let’s celebrate your new status as my house pets then,” Marit giggled as Daro ran his hands up her spine on their way to her breasts. “Not fair,” she sighed as they ganged up on her. “Four against one.”

*
Marit stood on the wharf in the city of Trent and looked around as her companions made all the arrangements. She had never been to the city and she was astounded by the architecture. There were so many large and important looking buildings around the streets. And the streets were filled with people. Her men had found her a garment in black and gray and a mourning veil. If anyone asked, she and her husband had just lost a family member. No one with manners would ask them which one. Andrew stood next to her, looking down his nose at the people walking by with an ease that astonished her. He had done this before, she realized and wondered who her men had been in their former lives. Canby and Daro drove up in a coach pulled by four beautifully matched gray horses. Brek got out of the interior and held the door for the lord and lady.
“We will be meeting up with an escort of honor on the outskirts of the city, my lady,” Andrew said to her as he squeezed her hand. “They are newly hired by your father,” he felt her flinch. “I mean, his Majesty, and our liege lord, King Marius of Sylvan Ford, to stand as our guard until we can make our own arrangements.”
“The King is very gracious and generous,” Marit said softly, fighting the grief in her heart that this return to the borderlands was causing. “I am certain the five of us can do quite nicely without…” Her eyes widened as she saw the men her father had sent. “No!” she shook her head in denial. “Not them!”
“You know these men, my lady?” Andrew asked her, eyeing the thirty golden-haired, red-haired, and brown-haired men astride their horses. He recognized the look of them. “Northlanders!” He knocked on the slot and Daro opened it. “Northlanders, Daro. Tell Canby to just keep on driving. We are not speaking to them.”
They drove until night forced them to make camp and the five of them kept to themselves. Their escort set up a tent and they moved inside where they merely slept. They didn’t want to have to explain their sleeping arrangements to the cold-eyed escort. They traveled two more days and came to the shores of the lack. Marit shivered as she remembered this place. This had been where she had fancied herself in love with Alexander of Dunlevy. Where his man, Barnabas, had dragged her to after stealing her away from her cousin. And now, it was hers. She saw the chindi circling overhead and wondered if they were friend or foe. She would tell her men about them once they were settled.
“Captain,” the lord Atherton said imperiously to Raven, “I will leave you to settle your men and set guards. My lady is exhausted by our long trip and needs to rest. My men and I will be in my offices upstairs if you require their assistance with anything.”
Raven bowed his head and watched them go, trailing behind the child with an attitude of pure protectiveness. They would not let anyone near their lady easily. But he had to get near her. He was still haunted by her gentle face, her loving ways, and by the guilt he felt for adding to the damage that had caused her mind to snap. He looked at the lord Atherton quite critically and had to admit he was a sold enough man. He would not allow anyone to cause harm to come to his wife.
“All of the rooms in this wing are connected by corridor or adjoining doors,” Daro said as he inspected the wing and came back. “We will have no trouble visiting each other.”
“I suggest that the lord and lady Atherton’s chamber be in the center of the block,” Andrew said, warming up to the planning phase. “So that we can protect our lady more easily.” He saw the map Daro jotted out. “Daro near the stairs, Brek next to him, our lady,” he raised Marit’s hand to his lips, “in the center, then myself and Canby near the other flight of stairs.” He looked at all the men sternly. “I do not need to remind you of our task here; our lady’s safety and welfare. No one gets past us to her, gentlemen. No one.”
“Now that you have settled the sleeping arrangements, my darlings,” Marit smiled at her men, “let’s play to see who shares my bed first. As long as Captain is there in the morning, or I am alone, I don’t think we are going to have much trouble keeping our secret.” She frowned over at Brek. “I’m afraid we’re not going to have anymore share or be shared meals here, Brek.”
“You are supposed to be relearning how to be a lady of rank, Princess,” Brek reminded her, though he looked quite disappointed himself at the loss. “We will find other ways to fill our time.”
“You should see to your duties now, men,” Andrew told them. “The servants should be around for you to give orders to. Daro, as the lady’s tutor, you pretty much have the afternoon off. Why don’t you go supervise our guards while my wife and I rest?”
“Certainly, my lord,” Daro bowed his head gallantly. “I look forward to starting your lessons tomorrow, lady Atherton.”
“Now that they are gone, my dear,” Andrew wiggled his eyebrows as he turned from locking her door; “let’s see how much rest we can get.” He stepped up to her and claimed her lips lovingly as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. He set her down beside it and removed her gowns gently, his hands caressing her silken skin as he did so. She sighed and moved against him and he was lost. “My lady,” he sighed as he continued to pet her as she removed his clothing with equal care, “you are going to drive me mad if you continue loving me like this.”
“I know no other way to love you, my lord,” Marit said against his lips.
He pushed her gently down on the mattress and they enjoyed each other until they were spent. Raven, walking the parapet nearby to inspect his guards, caught a glimpse of them wrapped in each other’s arms and made a note to suggest the lord keep the balcony door closed as jealousy raged inside his breast. He could have had her once; if he had been willing to push her just a little harder for surrender. Then he remembered the reason they were here was because she had been pushed past her ability to cope and his guilt flamed back to life.
“Captain?” Marit sighed as she woke a few hours later and stroked his back.
“Mmm?”
“We’re having a baby, Captain,” she told him as she nuzzled his ear. He shot bolt upright and looked into her eyes. She nodded. “Yes, my darling. We are having a child. And before you ask,” she said against his lips as he pulled her to him with a cry of delight, “I don’t care who the